Sunday, January 24, 2010

Parasails over Machtesh Ramon

On Friday afternoon we saw a group of four parasails over the crater. They were colorful and exciting. Although these were the first we had seen, people to whom we excitedly pointed them out said they were a rather common sight. I have no idea how they launch. Not from a plane, and you can't just jump off the crater rim with a soft sail and expect it to open properly. My daughter says she thinks they are launched from a tow vehicle that pulls them into the air. I shall have to find out more.

In any case, the parasailor sits in a harness, rather unlike a hang glider whose body lies prone in a harness. The parasail seems to be maneuvered by pulling the lines that attach it to the harness. The parasailors flew all along the cater rim beside Mitzpe Ramon, slowly descending then catching a new thermal that would tower them high over head, as they swooped around together. Looks exciting, but I don't think you'll catch me up there any time soon. There were some very interesting cloud formations on Friday, as you will see in these photos, that I can't explain. Enjoy the colorful sights from the ground.

(As always, click on the photos for a full-size image.)
































































































































  

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